Air spring

Abstract

The invention relates to an air spring having an air spring flexible member (1) whose wall (5) of elastomeric material has at least one reinforcement layer (19) and bead (3) with a reinforcement core. The reinforcement layer surrounds the reinforcement core in the form of a loop (20). The flexible member wall, which projects from the bead, does not lie flush on the piston but forms an arc projecting away from the piston when viewed in cross section. The core loop can thus terminate inside the piston diameter thereby improving the roll-off characteristics of the flexible member.

Description

RELATED APPLICATION[0001]This application is the national stage of PCT / EP 2005 / 010393, filed Sept. 27, 2005, designating the United States and claiming priority from German patent application no. 10 2004 050 189.0, filed Oct. 15, 2004, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.FIELD OF THE INVENTION[0002]The invention relates to an air spring: having a roll-off piston with a piston cover, a roll-off edge, a roll-off surface and a conical seat in the piston cover; having an air spring flexible member with a flexible member wall of elastomeric material with at least one reinforcement layer and a bead, which is arranged at the lower end opening facing toward the roll-off piston, the bead having an annularly-shaped reinforcement core; with the at least one reinforcement layer being guided around the reinforcement core in the region of the lower end of the air spring flexible member.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0003]U.S. Pat. No. 6,168,143 describes such an air spr...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

This invention improves the performance of an air spring flexible member by making it easier to roll over the roll-off edge and reduce the risk of damage. It does this by forming an arc directed away from the cover when the flexible member wall rolls off on the roll-off piston, making it longer and more easily rolled over. This allows for easier and more reliable deflection of the air spring in all operating states. The flexible member is also preformed in the region of the roll-off edge in the roll-off direction, which facilitates additional roll off.

Problems solved by technology

This length cannot be made shorter as desired because of the maintenance of the necessary tensile strength of the reinforcement layer.

The consequence of this arrangement is that the stiff region of the flexible member wall mostly extends beyond the roll-off edge (that is, the transition region from piston cover into the roll-off surface) and thereby makes more difficult the roll off of the air spring flexible member after a complete expansion of the entire air spring or, especially in the pressureless state, can even prevent the roll off.

This causes the formation of folds in the air spring flexible member which can lead to a clamping and to a premature destruction of the flexible member wall.

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